July: 10 trance releases you need to hear this month

Ferry Corsten 'Blueprint' (Flashover)

Ferry Corsten’s artist albums always sound completely different. While his 2003 debut ‘Right Of Way’ was pure trance, he later fell out of love with the genre and produced the electro-inspired ‘L.E.F.’ before returning to more traditional sounds on ‘Twice In A Blue Moon’ and ‘WKND’. His fifth record is a sci-fi concept album and, by his own admission, his most ambitious yet. Composed with the help of screenwriter David H Miller (House

Of Cards, Rosewood), it tells its story not just through its lyrics but with narration from actor Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man The Exorcism Of Emily Rose) and intelligent composition. An atmospheric and powerful record with futuristic FX, it’s a truly explorative journey.

9/10

Paul Oakenfold & Jordan Suckley 'Amnesia' (Sunny Lax remix) (Perfecto Records)

Sunny Lax does an impressive job reworking Oaky and Jordan Suckley’s ‘Amnesia’ collaboration. While the original version is relentless and psychedelic with a melody reminiscent of Special D’s ‘Come With Me’, the Hungarian producer’s take on the record features a prominent bassline, warm breakdown and chopped-up FX, showcasing his talents as a gifted remixer.

9/10

Da Fresh 'Charlotte Everytime' (Max Freegrant & Slow Fish remix) (Freegrant Music)

Max Freegrant’s record label is known for blurring the boundaries between trance, progressive, house and techno. And just to reiterate that, he’s decided to team up with Slow Fish once again to remix techno artist Da Fresh’s deep house single. By adding more tension to the rounder, more obvious drops, they produce a rework that’s more progressive than trance but would still work well in any closing set.

7/10

Nicholson feat Niki Mak 'To The Flame' (Charlotte’s Theme) (ART Recordings)

Carl Nicholson has been on the scene since trance’s heydey in the early 90s and has worked hard to remain relevant ever since, playing alongside the likes of Jules, PvD and Lisa Lashes, as well as Fatboy Slim, Frankie Knuckles and the Chemical Brothers. On this uplifting vocal trance record, he’s eluctant to let go of his roots: it’s got that old-school, big-room sound, featuring heartfelt female vocals and

a typically euphoric melody. He might not be not pushing things forward, but he’s making decent music, so we hope he just keeps going. 7/10

MaRlo & First State 'Falling Down' (Tech Energy mix) (Armind)

Taken from Armin’s ‘A State Of Trance 2017’ album, MaRlo and First State’s collaboration was given its own single release in April. With a similar beat to Andrew Bayer’s ‘Super Human’ and hands-in-the-air euphoria it’s a huge tune, but the overbearing male vocals give it a somewhat EDM quality. The vocals remain on the remix but everything’s toned down, making it feel more suited to the club than a festival arena. At the very least, it’s helping the original to remain relevant.

7/10

Firestorm 'Future State' (Titan Audio)

Although Scottish duo Firestorm have been releasing music under a variety of aliases for more than a decade, they’ve never quite managed to break through. However, with releases on Alter Ego, Monster Tunes and now Titan Audio under their belts, it looks like things could be on the up for them. Their latest effort, with its haunting pads, gentle build-ups and mesmerising melodies, is a highly effective slice of trance; perhaps their time has finally come?

8/10

Talla 2XLC 'Arcadia' (Critical Uprising)

Over the course of his 20-year career, Germany’s Talla has become known for his peak-time records, building a reputation for himself as a master of euphoric and progressive trance. ‘Arcadia’ is composed of a wide variety of acoustic elements, including powerful, full-bodied chord synths and a beautiful dreamy break which builds with so much anticipation you feel a little cheated by the drop, which deserves to be much bigger. That said, it’s perfect for the dancefloor thanks to the way it balances energy and pace with opportunities to catch your breath.

7/10

Andrew Rayel & Max Vangeli feat Kye Sones 'Heavy Love' (Armada)

If you’ve been to any big festivals or trance shows in the past few months, chances are you’ll have heard this record. Taken from Andrew Rayel’s second artist album ‘Moments’, it’s a huge vocal single that reflects how much time he’s spent on the road during the past three years, featuring a pounding beat and a trumpet-led breakdown that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Perhaps due to Max Vangeli’s input, it’s not Rayel’s most intellectual record, but it’s still a crowd-pleaser.

6/10

Manuel Le Saux & Astuni '22 Years Later/Team Deathmatch' (Discover Records)

Manuel Le Saux teams up with fellow Italian Astuni on this two-track EP. Both singles are energetic with beautiful melodies but despite the truly captivating breakdown on ‘22 Years Later’, ‘Team Deathmatch’ is the standout, largely due to the fact that it incorporates every trance element you could ever wish for. With Le Saux’s third artist LP out this year, this is a welcome taste of things to come.

8/10

Capa 'Friends Zero' (Three Music)

Through his desire to learn new skills and styles, Swedish producer Capa has perfected the melodic sound, gaining recognition from Radio 1 DJs Pete Tong, Annie Mac and Danny Howard, as well as support from the likes of Above & Beyond and Armin van Buuren. It was back in 2014 that he really honed in on his signature sound of big soaring leads, floating arps, 80s-inspired basslines and innovative vocal samples, and his new track follows in the same vein. Upbeat, summery and sparkly with a hugely gratifying drop, it’ll definitely lift your spirits.

7/10